OUR APPROACH

ABOUT US

Mir Ali (LicAc, MBAcC) is a member of The British Acupuncture Council and has a current CRB/DBS check. He began studying Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture at the London College of Traditional Acupuncture in 1998.

After qualifying in 2001, Mir visited Hangzhou Hospital in South East China, where he was able to observe and treat a variety of illnesses and conditions including; Bell's Palsy, Stroke, Male Sub-Fertility, Muscle/Joint pain, Women's health; IVF/ICSI support,

Mir has an interest in different approaches to Acupuncture and since graduating has dedicated much of his time to the study of modern and Classical Chinese medicine and is currently learning to read Classical Medical Chinese. He continually updates his knowledge on the latest news in health, including sports performance, nutrition, disease pathology and research into "Classical" approaches to

Oriental Medicine and how it may be made available and made relevant to modern day illness and wellbeing.

Mir has a special interest in the treatment of Women's Health; IVF/ICSI support, irregular menstrual cycles, painful periods, PMS and also musculo-skeletal injuries such as lower back pain, neck and shoulder pain. Mir has successfully treated a large number of other conditions which are not listed. If you would like to ask whether he may be able to help you, please do not hesitate contact us.

Mir has also been a guest lecturer, teaching modern approaches to Acupuncture, at the British College of Osteopathic Medicine and at private clinics.

In his spare time, Mir enjoys practicing Qi Gong, Meditation and Martial arts, which he has been practicing for over thirty years. In the last twenty years he has been involved in the constant study and research into Chinese health and martial practices. In 1991 he started his training in Shaoling Kung fu, Qigong and meditation and since 2001 his practice has been focused on Taoist Neigong, Medical Qigong, Meditation and "Internal" Martial arts.

Mir has represented Great Britain in China at international conferences, demonstrating Shaolin Kung fu and Qigong to the Chinese public at live televised events. Mir has also appeared in Chinese martial arts documentaries, television interviews and has performed at Buddhist and Taoist temples in China in front of international teachers, masters and students.

Lisa Harmer (LicAc, MBAcC) is a member of The British Acupuncture Council and a holds a current CRB/DBS check. Lisa also studied Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture at the London College of Traditional Acupuncture (LCTA), where she gained her licence to practice in 2001.

Due to other commitments, at present Lisa is not taking new patients/clients.

We practice an integrated approach to health, which means using traditional techniques from Chinese medicine and modern scientific understanding to keep ourselves and our patients healthy.

We are happy to work alongside Doctors and other therapists (such as Osteopaths, Physiotherapists, Nutritional Therapists etc.) to gain maximum effect and the best results possible for patients.

Important in our approach to treating patients is our consideration of their overall wellbeing. This means treating everybody as an individual and tailoring treatments specific to their current health, looking at and treating them as a whole; treating their physical, mental and emotional health.

In practice this may mean if two people arrive in the clinic with similar shoulder complaints, they can be treated very differently depending on their complete picture of health and any other health issues they may present with.

As an example, someone entering the clinic with a simple complaint of joint pain, will be examined and asked about their main complaint during their consultation and also about their general health too (by means of a medical questionnaire). If other health issues arise during this time which the patient feels they would also like addressed, then treatment for this and other problems can take place together.

Example:

If Mrs A arrives at the clinic with "Tennis Elbow" (Lateral Epicondylitis), we take note of the orthodox medical diagnosis and also diagnose the person's condition from the viewpoint of Chinese medicine. We treat according to Chinese medical theory, bearing in mind the orthodox medical point of view.

A condition such as Tennis Elbow is usually treated by orthodox medicine using different treatments; the application of ice to stop inflammation, possibly a prescription of anti inflammatory medication and advice to rest the arm. If the patient is referred to a Physiotherapist, then additional treatment in the form of a rehabilitation program may be given (appropriate advice on exercises and stretches), some massage and ultrasound treatment too. If the condition is chronic, then steroid injections may be offered and as a last resort an operation may be scheduled.

Our approach to treating this condition would be to apply herbal (like Tiger Balm) liniments in place of ice to the area to reduce the inflammation and pain, advise resting the arm as much as possible, massage of the upper arm and shoulder (which often over compensate causing tightness and pain), application of Acupuncture treatment to further reduce the pain and inflammation to the affected area and in addition, treat other conditions which may be of concern to the patient, such as poor sleep, tiredness headaches etc., which may or may not have any relation to the Tennis Elbow.

We feel an essential part of good health, is the prevention of ill health through a healthy lifestyle. We offer advice which may help prevent future illness and help to keep patients in ongoing good health and balance. The advice offered may take the form of reinforcing existing well known ideas of eating well and taking part in regular exercise, advice on what to eat more of or reduce, advice on the practice of exercise and stretches to aid rehabilitation, meditation techniques and deep breathing techniques to help with relaxation.

Chinese medicine uses a system of different approaches to maintaining health and treating illness. These are; Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Dietary advice, Massage and Exercise Therapy, which is not too dissimilar to the modern day orthodox approach to health; Pharmaceutical drugs, Dietary advice, Physiotherapy and Exercise Therapy.

We believe having a generally healthy lifestyle which includes regularly eating good quality food, taking part in regular exercise or activity, a regular sleeping pattern, eating less sugar, salt and additives and keeping alcohol consumption within the recommended allowances, generally keeps the health of most people in good order the majority of the time. If these basics are kept to, then when illness does occur, the body is generally in a strong place to fight off infections or recover from trauma.

Often after a course of treatment is finished, many patients return throughout the year as a measure to prevent the re-ocurrence of an old complaint and/or to maintain their general wellbeing. The time between return visits can be as often or as little as wanted. Many people return on a monthly basis and some every year to address previous complaints or prevent the onset of annual issues, as well as a way to help relax and de-stress.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

Chinese medicine is considered to have an holistic approach to healthcare, its concern is not only for the effective treatment of the main complaint, but also treatment of the person as a whole, always taking into consideration their physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.